


After Firewing

by i_am_not_a_bird



Category: Silverwing - Kenneth Oppel
Genre: Afterlife, Bats, F/M, I don't know what I'm doing, Major Spoilers, No Plot, Underworld, basically just a few loosely strung together drabbles, this is a mess, what is plot anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 17:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17687699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_not_a_bird/pseuds/i_am_not_a_bird
Summary: After the events of Firewing, Shade's spirit spends some time keeping tabs on his old friends and enemies.this is a very old fic that I completely forgot was on my computer until today and decided to post on a whim :)





	After Firewing

“He’s so adorable.”

Goth’s voice caught in his throat, and he realized how much emotion it contained. He had never loved another creature this much. Throbb had been an irritating companion, one he had expected to kill one day anyway; he had never liked Voxzaco; not even Phoenix had been able to spark this much emotion in him. But the tiny creature before him, the weakling newborn who was unable to hunt for himself, was simply beautiful. Goth felt a fierce desire to protect him. _He’s my son._

_Now, now, Goth,_ Goth chided himself, _this is about more than just your son. This is about resurrecting Cama Zotz, bringing him back from the Underworld so that he may rule._

He looked into the eyes of his mate, Phoenix. “This is the start of something great,” he crowed, hoping that the strength of his words would make up for the weakness of his resolve. “The start of a new journey! Our son and us will unite to revive Cama Zotz!”

 

* * *

 

“Luna,” Griffin said, his voice quavering. “I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?” Luna asked, cocking her head. “Please don’t tell me you want to try to steal fire again,” she said with mock terror.

“No, no,” Griffin said. “This, I think, is a much better idea.”

“Well, get on with it,” Luna said.

“Luna… Will you be my mate?”

Luna stared at him for a moment, gave a bark of a laugh, and then began battering him playfully with her wings. “Of course!”

Griffin breathed a sigh of relief. It was over, he had asked her, and nothing remotely terrible had happened. “Race you to the tree and back,” he dared, angling his wing to point at a large sycamore.”

“I bet you can’t beat me.”

They fluttered off toward the tree, and of course Griffin lost, and of course Luna teased him, and Griffin’s heart felt lighter than it had in days.

 

* * *

 

Ariel could keenly feel Cassiel’s presence beside her. He wasn’t flying off. He wasn’t saying anything about destiny. He wasn’t talking about seeing the sun or about war with the owls or about the band on his foreleg.

It was an entirely new and wholly strange experience.

“It’s so weird that soon we’ll be great-grandparents,” he said, a strange expression on his face.

“You won’t get to see our great-grandchild anyway,” Ariel said. “Pretty soon you’ll leave for Stone Hold, and Luna will stay and raise him. Or her.”  
“That’s going to tear Griffin apart,” Cassiel said wryly.

Ariel laughed and Cassiel gazed at her warmly and Ariel was so, so glad to have Cassiel by her side for good this time.

 

* * *

  

It was time.

Frieda felt as if she had aged a million years, much longer in the afterlife than in the above world.

She was ready to go.

She had done her part in directing the Pilgrims.

She was ready to see what was beyond the Tree.

Frieda took a deep breath and dove in the dark depths, wondering what would await her beyond.

 

* * *

 

Shade felt the world. He glided between lifeforms. He felt the strength of the tree, the fear of prey and excitement of predator. He felt Goth’s love for his son eating apart the walls of loyalty to Cama Zotz. He felt Luna’s honest feelings for Griffin, and Griffin’s embarrassment at his own feelings. He felt Ariel’s warm relief to have her mate again for another year, and Cassiel’s passion for her. He felt the bonds of friendship and love between bats. He felt how these bats loved him, and how they grieved for him, and how they loved one another.

He felt the world.

And he could feel how the other spirits around him were doing the same. He knew Yorick, one of Griffin’s Pilgrim companions, was there. When he went south, he could feel Murk and Throbb. And one day, the tides shifted. Another spirit joined the midst, someone who Shade knew and recognized.

He felt Freida.


End file.
